


Don't Pick Up Alien Boyfriends In Space

by PepperDaddy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Communication Issues, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra tribe AU, Is that a thing, M/M, Oral Sex, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Rough Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, i guess this is a bit like atlantis but way more kinky ;), more tags to be added later, space explorer shiro, under negotiated mating?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-24 01:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14344683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepperDaddy/pseuds/PepperDaddy
Summary: There are a few rules every space voyager knows as law such as 'Know the local language' and 'Avoid offensive behaviors'. One of the most crucial is:'Don't get too chummy with the natives'Shiro learns just why that rule is so crucial when he encounters Keith and the Galra, a legendary tribe hidden deep within the universe.





	1. Don't pull a Dorothy

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on tumblr because I'm impatient but now it can be shown in it's full trashiness on ao3.
> 
> Hope you like<3

_Red flashing lights **  
**_

_The hiss of sparks flying_

_The creak of metal_

_The sensation of swaying; back and forth, back and forth_

_The sound of a dying animal_

_Wait, was that him?_

Shiro woke up disoriented, shocked he was alive but dreading his current situation as it dawned on him. Shiro remembered being sucked into a wormhole and separated from his team. The expedition was already leading the team into more treacherous areas of the galaxy. Shiro knew it was a risk and they lost on a gamble. They ended up blindsided by the amount of space debris that came at them, it became harder to dodge by the minute.

He had gotten the brunt of it and couldn’t fight against the gravitational pull of the wormhole that sucked up anything that got even remotely close. The last thing he heard was Lance screaming his name before he blacked out.

Shiro tried pulling back on the levers to make his spacecraft respond but he got nothing. Sighing he leaned back into his seat, closing his eyes until his head stopped spinning. He opened them when the throbbing in his head dissipated a bit, allowing him to concentrate. He knew his spacecraft was shot and he needed to exit before it decided to tumble to its untimely demise. If the swaying said anything he was probably not on stable ground.

Shiro began to stand up carefully only to fall forward when his legs almost gave out and his side throbbed painfully. He didn’t know if he was badly bruised or if something was broken, he had to keep in mind not to over exert himself. Shiro pressed against the side of his helmet trying to activate some kind of signal but he must’ve took quite the hit, the signal was completely gone. Shiro cursed before lightly holding his side and stumbling to the back of the ship, grabbing his emergency bag of provisions and throwing it over is shoulder.

Each step towards the exit sent a stab of pain through his side but he ignored it, climbing up to the hatch and pushing the handle until it unlocked with a hiss. Shiro opened it and stuck his head out cautiously as he looked around.

It was like nothing he’s ever seen before, he hung over a vast land filled with layers of thick vegetation. He couldn’t even discern where the ground was from how massive the trees were. At least that was the closest word Shiro could think of to describe the large structures. The atmosphere was breathtakingly beautiful, the huge trees had broad leaves that sprouted like lavender umbrellas against the horizon. Shiro could see the slopes of burgundy mountains that seemed to go from dark to light in a gradient; All against the backdrop of a sky that seemed to be in a perpetual sunset.

Shiro didn’t even realize he was gawking until he felt his mouth close on it’s own. He swallowed and blinked, looking behind him to see rocky land behind him. 

At that moment the ship decided to make a loud warning sound as it began to tip forward. Shiro’s body yanked forward making him yelp in shock. He acted quickly, climbing out as fast as he could and running along the back of the ship before jumping off, right as it nose-dived into the rocks below. Shiro found himself sprawled out on the ground gasping for breath. A sinking feeling overtook him when he heard the explosive echo of his ship’s demise.

That was it, Shiro’s only way off the planet was officially gone.

Shiro stood up with a wince turning around to look at the thick forest that awaited him. He knew he was most likely screwed but he needed to at least try to find another way. Shiro detached his bayard from his suit, gripping it tight as he walked forward. He couldn’t shake the dreaded feeling in his gut.

                                                                                   

 

It turns out Shiro was a lot higher up than he anticipated, he was wandering for what felt like hours down the rocky path that he assumed lead deeper into the forest. Shiro forced himself to be more careful making him move slower, his suit was made from pretty resilient material but he didn’t want to risk any tearing with such an unstable terrain.

Shiro had the urge to rush though, he wasn’t too keen on staying in one place too long. He could swear he heard rustling every now and again and it gave him goosebumps. He had no information on this planet, there could be all types of things waiting for him in those multi-colored bushes. Even when stopping to eat and drink he was looking over his shoulder like a mad man and waiting for some hideous alien to jump out and attack him.

By the time he started to actually get in the thick of the forest it was so hot he could feel his sleek space suit sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Not to mention the low hanging leaves on the trees kept smacking against the already cracked glass of his helmet. Shiro was a very patient man but he was quickly losing that patience by the minute. Thankfully the pain in his side wasn’t as bad at this point, for once Shiro was very grateful for his robust alpha body and its quick healing abilities.     

Even so, he still had to think about what to do when he ran out of water and food. Shiro knew about a wide array of alien plant and wildlife and recognized one or two edible flowers and fruits as he trekked through the dense forest; but for the first time he was mostly clueless about his surroundings. He’s never even seen a planet like this recorded in his archives, none of his peers’ audio or visual recordings showed a place like this either. Shiro would’ve been incredibly ecstatic to discover such a remote planet off the beaten path in any other circumstance.   

Unfortunately, the rainforest-like planet was losing its charm the longer he travelled.

It was getting darker and Shiro was beginning to get nervous. There were probably a lot of creatures lurking who were much more built for night navigation just waiting for easy prey. The noises from earlier wouldn’t leave his mind either, something might already be stalking him. The thought sent a chill down his spine. Shiro really needed to find somewhere to barricade himself until day came again.

He looked around desperately when he got to an opening, catching some blue lights that were glowing in his peripheral. Walking closer he saw that they were some type of strange looking flower, like a hibiscus with moving bristles along the edges. Shiro arched a brow curiously and began to travel down the path of glowing flowers. He didn’t know what compelled him to follow their trail but something was alluring about their powder blue glow, especially with rapid descent of sunlight.

The further he went into that crevice of the forest the more his worries seemed to disintegrate. Shiro even found himself smiling when he saw little blue lights floating towards him, looking down to see them brush against his arms shyly. His eyes followed the sprites to the sight of a glistening pond surrounded by a field of those blue flowers, they even hung from the trees like fairy lights. 

Shiro’s eyes widened at the sight before him, he could see lights floating up like fireflies as his feet brushed against the flowers on the ground. It was so…peaceful.

Shiro smiled again in relief from the sight of water, even though his body was beginning to feel tired. Maybe he could finally rest, it was practically night time anyway. ‘Besides,’ he thought, ‘this place is so nice, so calming.’ Shiro’s eyelids became heavier at that thought. He was so tired he just needed to lay down, this place was safe enough. Shiro dropped his bag before collapsing on the field of flowers. A quiet sigh left him as the gentle brush of petals began to lure him to sleep. All the bones in his body turned into liquid as his vision blurred.

The snap of a branch startled him back awake. That’s when he saw it.

Bright yellow eyes glowed eerily above him before a giant creature lunged forward. Shiro’s breath caught, his heart was in his throat when he realized his body wouldn’t move. A scaly mouth stretched open to reveal needle-like teeth that were inches from his face when the creature was suddenly yanked back by another figure.

Shiro was afraid his heart was going to beat out his chest. He could see the creature rear back and screech at the figure standing before it. Its large scales flared around its face, bright blue lights glowing under them like a threat. It charged the person, only to be evaded when they flipped onto the creatures back. Shiro could barely keep up with the sheer speed of the stranger’s movements. 

They turned to the tail of the massive lizard before plunging a knife into the base of its tail. It let out another chilling screech trying to throw them off. Fluorescent blue blood flew as they cut off its tail, jumping off as the beast fell to the ground. It’s large body twitched as the last of its life bled out. Shiro watched the figure pick up the tail, still flopping and all, before the lull of the flowers took him back under.  

 

-==-

 

Shiro felt like he’s been asleep for days when he woke up next. He blinked his blurry eyes into focus, squinting them when he could see what looked like a ceiling. Shiro’s brows furrowed in confusion, was he still dreaming? An arched, tan ceiling was right above him and he could swear he was lying on a bed. Shiro snapped into a sitting position to see that he indeed was, and it was incredibly large and soft. Shiro ran his hand along the purple silk of the sheets before he notice his naked chest. His eyebrows raised, touching his chest frantically and looking around for his suit. Why was he naked? **  
**

Never mind that, where the  _fuck_  was he?

Shiro tried to calm his breathing while he studied the room. It was rather cozy. the interior looked a lot like one of those San Antonio homes you’d find near the desert, modern with plenty of reds and browns, spiky purple plants here and there. The furniture looked pretty similar to how it does on earth although the bed was embedded into the floor like a giant cat was supposed to sleep there. Shiro began to feel some type of hope, there had to be intelligent beings here. The homey and familiar atmosphere helped too. Someone obviously brought him here after his ordeal in the forest, that someone might prove to be an ally.

There was still one problem though, he really needed some clothes.

Maybe he could find his suit somewhere, he really didn’t want to put the sweaty thing back on but it was better than nothing. Plus he needed his helmet, there was a possibility he could fix it while he was here and get in touch with his friends. Hopefully the one who brought him here had compatible tools.

Shiro got up reluctantly, awkwardly wrapping the cover around his waist. He tried not to blush when he felt it brush against his skin, the thought of a stranger undressing him made him burn with embarrassment. He shook the thought away focusing on looking for his clothes.

The house was like a dome made out of a sturdy material that Shiro couldn’t even recognize, it had fine bumps but was soft to the touch like felt. The red carpet was amazingly fluffy as well, his steps were cushioned like walking on clouds. The next thing his eyes caught were the knives lined above what looked like a desk, they were organized by size and looked sleek and silver in appearance, almost high tech. Shiro tried not to focus too much on that letting his eyes roam with curiosity, taking in some beautiful statues that looked hand carved sitting on a round table. Shiro picked up the one that looked like some type of man-cat hybrid. He was tall and muscular with a stern face, a slash ran across one of his eyes. Shiro tilted it and angled his head. ‘Some type of cat deity?’ he thought to himself. No, it had to be a statue of the planet’s inhabitants. So that’s what they looked like. Shiro was at least happy to know what he would be dealing with. But this guy looked nothing like the figure from last night, perhaps they varied in size as much as humans.

He put down the sculpture and was about to leave when one other sculpture caught his eye. The sculpture looked older, much older than the other ones; and it looked everything like a red punch buggy. It wasn’t strange to see earth paraphernalia in space, it could go for a lot in some places, but this looked hand made like it had personal details etched into it. He’s never even seen an alien like the man-cat hybrid; not in any of the intergalactic records he knows of and certainly not on earth. Shiro brushed it off though despite being a bit befuddled. Perhaps his knowledge was more limited than he thought.        

Shiro walked towards the exit, reaching to brush away a glass bead curtain only to have the beads float open on their own. Shiro paused before walking through, glancing back momentarily before moving on. He came across what looked like a lounge area, the walls were covered with sheer red cloth lined with gold trim. There was a large red cushion in the middle of the room along with multiple smaller pillows along a ledge and around the large cushion. Shiro could see intricate carvings along the walls but was a bit startled when he noticed the various skulls and different sized fangs hanging from the ceiling. It had a very macabre feel to it that was unsettling. Shiro decided to move on then.

As he turned left he noticed that the next arch led outside to what looked like a balcony. Shiro cautiously continued in that direction when an invisible force stopped him from leaving. Shiro stiffened in surprise.

“What the hell?” he said before he walked up to it again using his free hand to reach out. A red light glinted at him when his hand tried to go through, revealing a barrier of some sort. Shiro’s pulse jumped at the discovery. He woke up in one piece, his ribs even felt damn near fully healed. Those conclusions made Shiro assume that perhaps no harm would come to him. Then the image of those skeletons came to his mind, and the knives. Shiro furrowed his brows, the stranger must’ve hid his bayard too. There was no reason to do something like that unless…Shiro did finish the thought. He needed to find it before the person got back, just in case. Shiro rounded back into the bedroom looking more closely for any type of storage area.

His eyes paused on the bedroom window, perhaps he should check if the barrier is blocking that as well. Shiro frowned, walking up to the window to check when a sudden movement made him stumble back, almost falling completely on his ass.

Shiro’s own dark grey eyes were suddenly starring into a pair of violet ones peering at him through tousled bangs. The very human looking boy (man?) was currently crouched on the window holding a bag. He had on a dark purple and black suit that looked like a second skin. Shiro couldn’t believe his eyes, he stared openly as the boy jumped down from the window to stand fully. There was no denying that there was another human standing right in front of him.

 

 

Shiro contemplated the idea that the stranger who saved him last night was the one who owned the house he woke up in; But those movements he witnessed were so supernatural that Shiro was certain there was no way that stranger could be human. Then again the boy in front of him had the same slender silhouette, and the knife in his hand looked eerily similar to the one that glinted against the fluorescent flowers last night. He had to be Shiro’s savior, it only made sense. He might’ve looked just as human as Shiro but those unusual eyes tell another story. 

Then Shiro thought about the sculpture, it belonged to him so maybe he lived on earth at some point, maybe he really could help Shiro. More than he already has that is.

The boy put his knife and bag down on his desk smiling at Shiro in clear excitement when he turned back to face him. Shiro blinked, a bit taken aback by the reaction but he’d take a positive one over a negative one any day. Shiro smiled back.

“Thank you for saving me last…night…” Shiro trailed off as the boy paid him no mind, circling his body before standing in front of him again with a look of bewilderment on his face. It was like Shiro was the most fascinating thing in the room.

“Uhmm…” Shiro started, moving back a bit as the boy got too close. The boy stared deep into his eyes with an inquisitive expression. Shiro couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was this close up, he had a petite nose and small plush lips, round violet eyes framed with thick, inky black eyelashes, and a head of silky dark hair that fell in messy waves. He had an otherworldly beauty to him yet looked like every teenage fantasy Shiro’s ever jerked it to.

Shiro jumped when he felt the light touch of fingertips graze over his cheek before touching his ear carefully. Shiro looked down to see the boy absolutely enamored with his ears, looking at them closely with a smile on his face. It was rather cute but Shiro had to try communicating with him.

“Are you from Earth? I mean that’s obvious but ugh, do you know English?” Shiro stumbled over the words awkwardly, stepping back to put space between them.

The boy’s hand hung in the air, his smile faded a bit and he pouted in confusion. He looked down, eyes shifting as if he was trying to figure something out.

Oh no, Shiro’s own expression fell. He was really hoping they shared the same language. At least Shiro was somewhat multilingual, he tried again.

“ _Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka?_ ” Shiro said, cringing after the boy’s face fell even further.

Shiro laughed nervously, asking again in accented Spanish that made the boy cross his arms in irritation. Lance would probably react the same way. The boy interrupted him before he could go any further.

“ _Ze? Kal rixkuu raigz'l'ut._ ” The words left his mouth in a rapid fashion. The strong consonants were emphasized by the roughness of his voice.

Shiro paused, trying to come to terms with just how alien those words were coming from human lips. Earthlings who space travel learn alien languages all the time, but that seems to be the only language this boy knows. Shiro just might be double screwed now, he didn’t even recognize the language the boy spoke. The boy looked at him with a disheartened look, obviously realizing that Shiro couldn’t speak his native tongue either. Shiro felt guilty for some odd reason, he didn’t want to make him upset. 

Now that he thought about it it was his own fault for jumping to conclusions. It’s not like there aren’t other humanoid aliens out there. The Alteans, for example, look mostly human sans their ears and unique coloring. Those violet eyes are the one unusual thing about him, perhaps his race is humanoid like the Alteans. The statue of the man-cat hybrid must’ve mislead him. 

Shiro gestured to himself. “Shi-ro.” he said slowly. Then gestured to Keith as if asking his name. Shiro was afraid the other boy wouldn’t understand his gesture but perhaps their cultures have that in common.

“Keith.” he said pointing to himself. It was said in perfect English. Shiro’s eyebrows rose at that. Keith looked at him funny then said it slower, thinking Shiro didn’t understand.

“Keith?” Shiro said in disbelief. Keith nodded in excitement when he got his name just right.

Shiro just couldn’t get over how unusual  _Keith_  was. That was definitely a human name. Shiro wished he could ask him about it but instead he changed the subject, perhaps he could learn more words. The more they learn to communicate the more he can solve the mystery that was Keith, and get back to his home safely. Shiro’s eyes landed on the bag keith brought in and an idea popped in his head. Maybe if Keith can learn the name for ‘bag’ he could show Shiro where his was.

“Bag.” Shiro said pointing to the sack, hoping Keith would follow. Instead something completely unexpected happened. Keith smirked, pushing him towards one of the stools. Shiro sat down looking at Keith curiously. Keith grabbed the bag, pulling out a gorgeous necklace that seemed to be made of scales and bone. The scales were dark purple with an iridescent shine to them when they moved against the light, needle-like fangs mingled with the scales, all connected with a leather strap. Well this wasn’t what he intended to happen, but it seemed to be important.

“That’s amazing.” Shiro said although he knew Keith didn’t understand. Keith did give him a cheeky smile when he saw how impressed Shiro was. At least they can communicate with emotions.

Suddenly Keith moved around Shiro to loop the necklace around his neck, Shiro stiffened but relaxed when he felt nimble fingers tying it. He didn’t think the necklace was for him, his new companion was generous it seemed. Keith faced Shiro again to look, he glanced at Shiro’s face like he was waiting for a reaction. Shiro gave Keith a small smile a slight blush on his cheeks.

“I should be giving you gifts for saving me,” Shiro chuckled fiddling with the necklace. “But thank you it’s beautiful.” Shiro couldn’t stop the warmth that laced his tone. Keith smiled back at the tone, pride evident in his expression. Shiro’s heart jumped at how the boy’s face lit up, Keith was certainly charming. Shiro looked down at the necklace again bashfully. He couldn’t help thinking the glint of the scales really reminded him of something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I hope my language skills weren't too cringe. Feel free to leave some comments/critiques 
> 
>  
> 
> [here's my tumblr, you can yell at me there](https://prettypepper-with-extrasalt.tumblr.com/)
> 
> *edit i really need to not post while half sleep


	2. Don't skim over love and sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro have a bonding moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thanks so much for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments<333 you guys are dope as fuck  
> I'm not gonna lie me and this chapter were really fighting so I hope you enjoy this mess lol
> 
> This chapter will escalate haha just a warning

 

Shiro ended up staying with Keith longer than he intended and got somewhat used to the foreign atmosphere after some time has passed. It turns out his things were stored in Keith’s room, even his bayard, but Keith saw no reason to keep his suit and discarded it. Shiro was a bit upset about that but figured the suit was damaged anyway, perhaps he could find some other form of communication. Keith went out to get him a set of strange robes instead, they were a bit long on him but at least he was covered. Shiro wanted to find a way to ask Keith for help but he admittedly kept getting distracted by all the interesting little quirky things in his new environment; more than anything he was interested in _Keith_.

Keith seemed to be adamant about taking care of him. He would go out and bring Shiro food which turned out to thankfully be safe for his human stomach. The strange meat was not only safe to eat, it was surprisingly palatable too. Keith would put together what looked like meat and fresh herbs in a pot on top of an indent that protruded from the wall. There was no fire but the food was heated by a purple glow under the pot. All the utensils Keith used were connected to the walls in some way as well.

Most of the technology was pretty new to Shiro. He realized that there was more to the house, all hidden within the interior of that strange material. Shiro would watch with interest as Keith’s slender fingers would draw different patterns on the walls to make little compartments pop up. It was almost like magic, like some type of element manipulation, something about it wasn’t organic enough to be natural. Shiro really wanted to ask Keith more about all this but their communication was limited.

The good thing was Keith was very eager to learn everything he could about human language and culture. The boy was remarkably quick witted and caught on faster than Shiro expected. Shiro couldn’t say the same for himself, his tongue seem to stumble over the syllables of Keith’s language. “K’Kree” is what Keith called it, Shiro would sometimes hear him singing in the language under his breath, but he could swear sometimes he would hear a bit of English mixed in. Shiro couldn’t get it out his mind.

Then one day when he heard Keith singing in English again with words he’s never even taught Keith yet, mostly because he only skimmed over the subject of love and sex. Keith was showering in a pocket of the house that was previously hidden next to the living room until Keith made it appear. Shiro walked from Keith’s room, following his voice to the washroom (or ‘grooming area’ as Keith called it) where he saw Keith showering with nothing but glass between them.  Shiro quickly looked away, feeling his face burn from embarrassment. He thought that maybe the little washroom would have some type of non-transparent door but that was _not_ the case.

“Hey uh Keith?” Shiro asked, speaking over the sound of water. He kept his eyes fixated on the tan wall in front of him.

“Hmm?” Keith answered. His voice was surprisingly clear, only partially muffled by the glass barrier.

“What’s that song you were singing just now.” Shiro crossed his arms, trying to fight back the very distracting mental image of Keith showering.

Keith paused, long enough that Shiro was beginning to regret asking the question in the first place. He heard the water turn off.

“I’m not sure.” Keith said with a bit of hesitation. “My mother used to sing it.”

Shiro’s brows furrowed at that. Shiro was admittedly a bit of a shut in when it came to pop culture but he could swear the song had sappy R&B vibes to it. Was Keith’s mother from Earth? Maybe she visited at some point but Shiro didn’t know how, aliens had to go through a pretty rigorous process to enter Earth’s grounds. There would have to be some type of record of purple cat-like people in an integration office somewhere.

The barely there sound of Keith’s footsteps shook Shiro out of his thoughts. He heard shuffling before Keith spoke again. “I don’t remember much about her, but I clearly remember her voice singing those words.” Keith’s tone was reluctant.

“It sounds a bit like your--language.” Keith said, pausing when he struggled to find the right word.  

Shiro turned at that, eyes catching Keith’s still naked form before he quickly turned back. “It is my language. Is it possible that your mother is also human?” Shiro tried to keep his voice steady. The topic combined with Keith’s shameless nudity were not a good combination for his nerves. Shiro wanted to ask more about her connection to Earth but Keith spoke first.

“Is it an Earth custom to talk to walls while someone is grooming?” Keith suddenly asked, the random subject change struck Shiro silent for a minute. Keith’s mother must’ve been a sore subject, Shiro could understand that. He decided to go along with it, no matter how awkward it was bound to get.

“No it’s just--inappropriate to look at someone else naked unless they’re okay with it.” Shiro winced when he realized what he said, that was _not_ a good explanation and knowing Keith he would find any loophole he could to question Shiro.

Keith walked around Shiro to stand right in front of him with one of his signature pouts, a towel slung over his shoulders and his hair messy and damp. He frowned deeper when Shiro looked away again, red blush spreading all the way down to his neck.

“I never said I wasn’t okay with you seeing me like this.” Keith arched a brow at him. Shiro could smell a faint sweetness on Keith that was fucking with his brain processes, it was almost omega in nature.  

“Humans usually don’t make a habit of being naked in front of each other, we try not to unless we’re close.” Shiro quickly stated, fighting back his urge to take in Keith’s bare body. Keith’s abrasive personality was going to eventually kill him.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed because you’re furless, it’s no big deal.” there was a bit of mirth in Keith’s voice now as he finally walked away and into his room. Shiro laughed at the statement looking down as tension left his body, thankful he didn’t humiliate himself by popping a boner.  

“We know we look a lot better without fur for the most part, believe me. It’s more so what’s between our legs that we’re hiding.” Fur must be a point of pride in Keith’s culture if that was his conclusion. Shiro tried not to think about what that entailed for Keith growing up.

Keith snickered at that. “It’s a shame to hide it, yours is very impressive.”

Shiro’s head snapped up at that to see Keith leaning on the wall in a robe, smirking at him as his violet eyes ran up Shiro’s body. Was Keith flirting with him? There was no heat in Keith’s eyes though, only a smug playfulness.

“Uh, thanks?” Shiro said, much too taken aback by the blunt statement to really say anything less lame. He was disappointed when Keith blushed and changed the subject again. Shiro wanted to smack himself when he realized how dismissive his reply might’ve sounded.

“What do you want to eat?” Keith walked to the kitchen area activating multi-colored trails as he traced patterns in the wall. “I got some Runek, I think you would like the flavor.” Keith pulled out some strange vegetable that looked like a malformed black radish. Shiro watched Keith shake black dust off the thing before setting it down and cutting it in quick strokes.

“Runeks can die very easily if not harvested correctly. They have leaves the same color of their soil so they’re hard to spot as well.” Shiro focused on Keith talking while he chopped but he couldn’t help his eyes trailing to the knife more than once.

“Sounds interesting.” Shiro said walking up to the newly formed counter. Keith had a distracted look on his face while he chopped. Shiro watched the knife get way too close to Keith’s fingertips twice before he laid a hand on Keith’s wrist to stop him.

Keith tensed looking at Shiro like he’d just noticed Shiro standing next to him. Shiro gave Keith a gentle smile as he took the knife and began to cut the vegetable at a more careful pace. Keith laid his hands on the countertop, watching Shiro’s less than perfect slices fall on the cutting board with a guilty look.

“I can teach you some new songs if you like, it’ll help with your lessons.” Shiro kept focusing on his task as he said it but the softness in his voice made Keith visibly relax with a small smile.

“I’d like that.”          

 

-==-

 

Keith was working on a necklace again.

He would spend so much time on them like they were more than just a simple hobby. Not to mention he always ended up giving them to Shiro when he was done making such painstakingly beautiful pieces. It’s not like Shiro wasn’t grateful, it was just a bit unusual to him. He didn’t really understand what it meant for Keith but it was clearly important to him. One day Shiro asked him if every Galra used necklaces to bond,just out of curiosity.

“My people use all types of jewelry but I think this type of decoration suits you. I hope they’re to your liking.” Keith said, Shiro could hear the anxiousness in Keith’s voice.

“They’re very beautiful. I’ve never seen necklaces so well made. They’re a great, uh, ‘bonding gift’.” Shiro reassured Keith.

“I’m honored to hear that. I was afraid I misunderstood your reactions. Our bonding customs really are similar. What do you make?”

The image of friendship bracelets popped in his mind. “We bond with matching jewelry, like arm jewelry with matching charms. We do other things as well though. Gift giving is an option, sometimes we can just bond by talking and sharing interests.”

Keith scrunched his face at that. “That sounds too easy, Earthlings must be very laid on their back.”

Shiro chuckled. “You mean laid back? I suppose we are, your gift giving has made me feel pretty special I admit. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing.” Keith shrugged but the tender expression on Keith’s face almost took Shiro’s breath away. Keith could be so guarded sometimes that it was a privilege to see him be so open.

“At first I only wanted to bond with you because you looked like me, I was instantly drawn to you. I felt a pull that I had to answer.” Keith bit his lip before continuing.

“But now I think you’re more than that, you’ve become like kin. I feel like we’ve already connected before in another life or something. It’s been a while since I felt this free.”

Shiro felt that pull too, Keith was beginning to felt like a long lost friend. One thing did bother Shiro though, what did Keith mean by free?

 

-==-

 

With every necklace Keith seemed to become more comfortable with Shiro. Keith was much more affectionate with him as they spent more time together. It started with little things; sometimes Keith’s hand would brush against Shiro’s when they cooked only to for him to pull away with an unsure expression. Shiro would sometimes write logs on a tablet Keith gave him, he found himself smiling when he looked up to catch Keith staring at him only to look away the next second.

As the gifts grew Keith would become more bold, holding Shiro’s hand when he led him around the house, hugging Shiro at the door when he welcomed Keith home, nuzzling against Shiro when they sat on his red cushion; Admittedly the last one was a bit weird, Shiro felt like he was snuggling with his cats at home with Keith rubbing against him like that. Shiro became used to it though, even kind of liked it after a while, even when Keith started nipping at his neck playfully. Shiro came to the conclusion that Keith’s people showed affection that way just to convince himself not to react too much to the intimate gesture. Then again Shiro couldn’t be sure about Keith’s motivations, he wanted to know more about Keith but sometimes Keith was a hard nut to crack. Shiro was hoping that by now they could build that bridge of trust and vulnerability.

“I wanted to ask,” Shiro said one evening while they were in the living room. They sat on the giant red cushion as Keith was putting together yet another necklace, some type of shiny brown beads surrounding bits of pink glass.    

Keith responded with a grunt, still focused on the necklace but urging Shiro to continue.

“Do you have any memories of Earth?” Shiro asked. Keith stopped, staring at him in confusion.

“Like, were you born there?” Shiro elaborated.

Keith looked down with a troubled expression. “I don’t know Earth. But I don’t look like my people either.” Keith said. His people, the cat-man hybrids that Shiro saw carvings of. That discovery was one of the reasons he wanted to know how Keith came to be. Keith didn’t talk about them much, he was way too interested in talking about Earth instead; but hopefully Shiro could learn more now.

“I’m not pure.” Keith said softly, Shiro could hear the pain in his voice. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

Shiro touched Keith’s shoulder with a gentle smile. “What do you mean?”  he stared at Keith intently although Keith was gazing at the necklace in his hands.

“I’m,” Keith furrowed his brows in that cute way when he’s searching for words. “I’m only half.” Keith finished before looking at Shiro.

Shiro gave him a reassuring smile. “So one of your parents is from Earth, And the other is Galra?”

“My father is from Earth and my mother is Galra like my people.” Keith clarified.

Shiro still couldn’t seem to recognize that name _Galra_ , he frowned trying to wrack his memory for any clues. Even more puzzling was how the hell Keith’s parents managed to meet and conceive Keith.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked with worry lacing his voice.

“Nothing, I’ve just never seen your people before. I’d like to know more about them.”  

Keith’s face brightened at that. “You would love my brothers! Thace is very kind and patient. Ulaz is a bit serious but he’s a good teacher. He’s really smart though we fight a lot because he’s too strict. Antok is quiet and seems tough but he’s really not that bad.” Keith beamed as he talked about his brothers. Shiro couldn’t help but smile as he watched the admiration shining in his eyes.

“Then there’s Xaka--my father I mean. I think you would like him, I really want you to meet him.” Keith blushed at the statement, tucking a stray hair behind his ear. Keith had a faraway look that dimmed the brightness in his eyes after he mentioned his father.

“I would love to meet your family.” Shiro said, internally cringing after. Why did he even say that? He was trying to get off this planet not meet the in-laws like he was ready to get hitched. God knows how worried the team was with how long he was gone. Still, Shiro couldn’t help but find himself relieved when Keith’s gaze grew warm, drawing him in. Shiro didn’t even realize how close they were until that moment.

“I don’t know if you can.” he said but those violet eyes were already distracted, giving Shiro an inviting look that made everything else gray in comparison.

‘Why can’t I?’ Shiro wanted to ask but he found himself speechless, he briefly wondered if Keith might actually have a similar biology to other humans. Shiro felt connected to Keith in an almost primal way. Sure Keith was smart, coy, and daring but there was something else. Shiro only noticed a faint scent from him and he wore a metal collar at all times that hid the side of his neck.

Shiro reached up to brush away Keith’s hair without thinking. He just wanted to see the collar closer. Keith’s breath caught but he leaned into the touch.

Keith rubbed his cheek against Shiro’s palm making him chuckle as he gazed at Keith, moving his hand down to Keith’s neck to touch the collar. The touch made Keith purr, the sound making Shiro blink. That was new. The boy’s pupils were dilated and his lips hung open a bit.

Keith was staring at Shiro with a heated look, Shiro couldn’t help but bite his lip in anticipation. He’s been holding back his own urges for a while now, staying with such a beautiful boy and not being able to do anything about it. Keith was absolutely his type: toned yet slight in stature, strong yet delicate features. Shiro’s found himself staring at those full lips more than once. But he’s never acted on his desires.

And now Keith was leaning towards him with thick dark eyelashes lowered, soft pink lips open and inviting. Everything around him began to blur as Keith’s violet eyes seems to entrap him, the thud of Shiro’s pulse thundered in a steady beat. Shiro caressed a strong cheekbone, lightly grabbing behind Keith’s neck as he bent to kiss him.

But suddenly Keith put a hand on his chest, blinking before a conflicted look crossed his face.

“Wait.” Keith said softly. “This is not appropriate.” Keith said looking torn. Shiro pulled away quickly, trying to fight back his disappointment. He felt his pulse slow while he tried to calm down, a part of his instincts urged him to continue. Shiro blocked them out.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean--” Shiro started but Keith stopped him with a shake of his head.

“Don’t apologize Shiro, I should control myself better.” Keith said looking guilty.

Shiro didn’t understand why Keith was holding back. He wanted to kiss Keith, he wanted to so badly, but he didn’t want to pressure him either. Then the thought that Keith may have been promised to another came to his head. Maybe that’s what Keith was trying to say, Shiro just came into his life unexpectedly not knowing what his situation was. It was foolish to not spare a thought to who Keith was outside their little treehouse. Shiro’s expression fell as he looked down.

Perhaps Shiro was getting ahead of himself. Maybe all their affectionate touching and bonding moments made him overthink their connection. Shiro distanced himself from romance for so long that he’d forgotten how it works. Keith’s contrasting culture didn’t help things much either. Keith did tell him the necklaces were a symbol of their bond, that could mean anything really. Even something platonic. Shiro’s instincts argued that Keith wanted that kiss just as much but Shiro ignored it, he was rejected either way. It was for the better really, it wouldn’t be wise trying to start something he wasn’t sure he could finish. They would date, possibly have sex and then what? Just leave his other life behind? It’d be worst if Keith did turn out to be omega, Shiro would risk marking him out of carnal urge and mating him, no self respecting alpha would abandon their mate. Shiro didn't even want to to leave as things were, he wouldn't have the strength to leave a mated Keith.    

“I understand, I didn’t mean to pressure you.” Shiro smiled sadly at Keith who smiled back before leaning forward and giving his cheek a little affectionate lick. Shiro’s eyes widened as he looked at Keith who gave him a teasing smirk.

“No ‘pressure’. I’m glad you understand.” Keith said leaning forward to nuzzle his neck. “I need to earn our bond.” he said curling next to Shiro.

Shiro huffed out a laugh. “You don’t need to earn anything, I already really like you.” _More than you even know._ “Aren’t we bonding right now?”  

Keith pulled away and gave him a look. “No, the necklace isn’t done.” Keith gave Shiro a judgmental look like Shiro said something crass.  

“Oh, okay.” Shiro could help but laugh again at Keith’s insistence. Well maybe I could help you look for more material--”

“No, I need to do this on my own.” Keith sat up with an angry look in his eyes, like the very idea was insulting to him. Shiro already learned Keith was a rather prideful young man so the reaction shouldn’t have surprised him.

Shiro simply nodded, watching as Keith’s glare softened, his arms crossed. Keith was as much of an enigma as the planet he lived on. He learns one thing about the raven-haired boy and another mystery pops up. Shiro went to bed that night unable to stop thinking of that conversation or Keith’s peculiar behavior. As he drifted his body felt the absence of Keith who was still in the other room, fixated on his necklace.

 

-==-

When he woke up the next morning, Keith was already gone.  

It wasn’t strange for Keith to leave in the morning, but he never woke up without the sound of Keith shuffling around the house or Keith next to him lightly snoring. Sometimes he would even wake up to Keith caressing his face, studying him with a sleepy expression. Shiro’s never woke to Keith being absent altogether. Shiro decided that it wasn’t a big deal, he would just wait for Keith to return; but as the hours passed Shiro became more and more anxious.

Shiro eventually tried to go find him only to be stopped by that damned barrier again. Keith always kept it up, never letting him out to explore for some reason. Keith insisted that he stay in the house at all times. Shiro supposed it was for his own protection but he was sometimes frustrated with being trapped. It’s not like he couldn’t fight. Shiro growled at the thought, he couldn’t even go see what was wrong with Keith because he didn’t know how the stupid barrier worked. Shiro tried drawing patterns like Keith did to deactivate it but felt stupid when it didn’t work. He huffed before giving up, he would have to fight against his urge to protect and just wait. Keith would return like he always did.

A whole day went by and Keith wasn’t back yet. Shiro was starting to get worried. Scratch that, he was starting to go _crazy_.  Shiro’s even resorted to using his bayard to try physically knocking down the barrier, but it was resilient. Shiro could feel his alpha instincts nag at him that Keith was in danger but he tried to rationalize and tell himself that Keith was more than capable of fending for himself. That didn’t stop him from worrying though and after another day he had trouble sleeping. He ended up passing out from exhaustion by the third night, unable to stop thinking about Keith.

  


When Shiro woke the next morning it was to a pleasant smell. It was earthy and deep, sweet like morning dew on flower petals. Shiro groaned, breathing the scent in again. His eyes opened slowly when he felt something land on his chest, and then a fleeting wetness against his neck. Shiro groaned again when warmth flowed through his body. His eyes focused when Keith’s face came into his view.

“Shiro,” Keith said with an adoring smile. The warm lights of the day seem to shine like a red halo behind him. Shiro’s was a bit speechless, from Keith’s pretty face being so up close and from the fact that he was there in the first place.

“Keith? Where,” Shiro sat up a bit. “Where _were_ you?”

Keith didn’t answer, simply adjusted what was on Shiro’s chest. It was the necklace from yesterday, except it had burgundy feathers added to complete the look. Shiro started when he realized he could see a bit a blood still on them.

“Keith-what were you doing?” Shiro couldn’t help but be a bit freaked out. Keith tied the jewelry around Shiro’s neck. This was the 5th necklace Keith’s given him.  

“Hunting.” Keith said, his voice was a bit huskier this time. Keith hovered directly over Shiro and moved closer. Shiro’s mind decided that was a good time to notice that Keith was _completely_ naked. Even the collar was gone. That’s when the scent hit him again making his dick twitch in interest. It must’ve been Keith, Shiro could smell his own arousal lingering with Keith’s sweet scent. Keith’s nostrils flared as he caught Shiro’s scent, his pupils dilated gazing at Shiro with half lidded eyes.

Keith laid fully on him, dipping his head to nip at Shiro’s scent gland before letting out purr. Shiro bit back a startled moan. He couldn’t even grasp how things escalated so quickly. That was definitely a very omegan smell coming from Keith and Shiro could barely digest the new information with that scent clouding his mind.

“Keith wait-” he started but Keith gently turned Shiro’s face to kiss his lips, silencing him. Shiro’s head was swimming, Keith’s scent was making it hard to think and those soft lips felt amazing. Shiro found himself kissing back, opening his mouth when Keith licked at his lips. Their tongues tangled in a clumsy fashion but neither could stop wanting to explore the other deeper. Keith nipped at his bottom lip harshly, letting out little growls as he began to fight for control. Shiro growled back before flipping them over, using his larger body mass to pin Keith down.

Keith didn’t stay down for long, he bucked and struggled biting at Shiro until he drew blood. Shiro grunted at the sting but forced his tongue deeper, earning a moan from Keith. Shiro broke the kiss to look at Keith, his lips were swollen and bloody, eyes glazed over with an almost wild look to them. Keith began bucking against Shiro as if he wanted to escape making Shiro move away only to have strong legs wrap around him. Shiro didn’t know what to do with those mix signals.

“Take me.” Keith’s voice was heavy with lust. The words made heat pool in his belly, he damn near moaned at Keith’s challenging tone. But he had to think, this was so sudden he didn’t even know what brought this on. Was it really smart to fuck a half alien boy who he met God knows how long ago? Shiro didn’t know, but _God_ there was something about Keith. Keith was omegan in both looks and smell, so familiar but so new at the same time. That primal part of Keith was calling for him but the unknown part of Keith intimidated Shiro as much as it tempted him.

Shiro buried his head into Keith’s neck to suck at his scent gland. That must’ve been what the collar was protecting, the scent was stronger than any omega Shiro’s been with, it was raw with no suppressants to block it. Keith’s head fell back with a groan when Shiro licked at it, roughly pulling Keith’s legs apart to feel the wetness between them. Shiro was painfully hard, had been sense Keith’s lips touched his. Shiro slid between Keith’s folds, grinding down onto his clit as he sucked harder at the gland making Keith bite back a noise. It took everything in him not to bite down and mate Keith then and there but he was satisfied when he pulled away to see a bruise forming on tawny skin.

Keith bucked his hips again, almost knocking Shiro off and giving him a coy smile when Shiro had to adjust himself to keep Keith pinned. Keith wasn’t going to make this easy for him, he twisted in Shiro’s grip with impressive flexibility, forcing Shiro to let go of his wrists. Keith turned over as if to escape but Shiro pinned him by his neck with a warning growl. Keith responded by arching his back and rubbing against Shiro. Keith looked over his shoulder at Shiro, his black hair falling around him like a waterfall, one dark eye peeping at him with an arrogant expression.

Shiro furrowed his brows in disapproval leaning over Keith’s bent form. He slid two large fingers between Keith’s folds before plunging into his tight hole. Keith grunted but met his fingers with a push of his hips. He was so wet, slick connected Shiro’s fingers with Keith’s cunt when he pulled them out. Shiro looked intently at the way Keith bit harshly into his lip, the way his brows creased to show just how impatient he really was. Shiro smirked teasing the rim, he could feel Keith try to suck him back in but he went no deeper, waiting for Keith to squirm before he thrust them back in. Keith gasped grinding his hips back when Shiro began curling his fingers, fucking his hole with shallow thrusts before going deeper and finding that spot. Keith’s eyes rolled up into his head as his hole clenched around Shiro his fingers.

Shiro licked and kissed at Keith’s back, relentlessly stimulating that one spot and forcing little moans from Keith’s mouth. Shiro pressed harder, twisting his fingers until Keith finally let out a loud whimper, gasping as he got closer to orgasm.

“Shiro, _ah_ , please.” Shiro could barely hear the plea, Keith’s accent was heavier with heat lacing his voice.

Keith’s pleading had Shiro’s cock practically weeping with precum, he was lining himself up before he could even think it through. Shiro let go of Keith’s neck to slide a hand down his chest instead, burying his nose in the crook of that thin neck. Keith lifted his hips trying to make Shiro go faster. Shiro slid in slowly not wanting to hurt him. Keith was more than wet enough, but he was incredibly tight, Shiro had to pause before thrusting all the way in. He felt like coming already from the way Keith’s hot silky walls were sucking him in.

“ _Fuck_ , Keith.” he gasped. Keith moved a hand to cup the side of his face, nipping at his jaw and rocking his hips back. Shiro started fucking into him making Keith’s nails dig into the bone of his cheek, head thrown back. Shiro angled himself knowing he found that spot again when Keith’s walls twitched around him. Keith ended up having to plant his hands on the ground as Shiro thrusted harder making his moans turn into mewls, Keith thighs shaking from the pleasure shooting through him. Shiro reached between his legs to stroke Keith’s clit while he fucked into that spot. Keith yelped and let out a sob as pressure began to build.

Shiro could smell how thick Keith’s arousal was and it drove him deeper in Keith, almost desperately. Keith’s moans were shaky with his heavy pants, the noise pitching higher with every thrust. Shiro held himself up by his metal arm as he went deeper, entranced by the way Keith’s hair bounced back and forth from the hard thrusts.

“Shiro!-” Keith choked on another moan, falling forward onto his elbows. “I’m-” he couldn’t find the words, his hips bucked forward into Shiro’s fingers and pushed back on his cock as his walls tightened, building to orgasm. He let out jumbled words before cumming with breathy whimper. Shiro had to bite back a whimper of his own when Keith’s walls clenched around him, throbbing as waves of pleasure hit Keith.

He came right after, biting into Keith’s shoulder to muffle the noises spilling from his own mouth. Shiro pulled out not wanting to knot Keith, some of the cum shot out on the floor instead. Shiro tried not to think about how hot it was to see his cum dripping from Keith’s fucked out hole when he sat up, he tried to catch his breath.

Keith turned, his breathing evening out while he laid on his back. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, lips a deep red from blood and abuse and dark pink flush on his tawny cheeks. His long hair was loose and splayed around him, tousled and wild. Shiro felt a stupid grin form on his face, he felt high from post orgasm but he couldn’t deny how the sight of Keith made his heart speed up.

Keith was breathtaking. Shiro wanted to drown in him.

Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro turning them over playfully and making them both laugh. He leaned down to nuzzle his nose to Shiro’s scent gland making Shiro chuckle again. Keith hummed happily before lapping at with small licks. Shiro bit back a moaned before running his fingers in Keith’s hair, tugging it. Keith pulled away but started rubbing his cheek against Shiro’s in that peculiar way of his.

“Keith,” Shiro couldn’t help the amusement in his tone. Keith nipped at his jaw, nails digging lightly in his chest. Shiro arched a brow when Keith started rubbing his scent gland against Shiro’s neck before nipping at his jaw and neck more aggressively.

“Ah, Keith that hurts.” Shiro began to push him a bit but paused when Keith let out a low growl. Keith dug his nails into Shiro chest and bit at his ear.

“ _Mine_. My mate.” Keith grunted in clear English trailing little kiss marks down Shiro’s neck. He settled after he was satisfied with his work, laying back onto Shiro’s chest with a sleepy sigh of content.

Shiro, however, laid there in shock. His heart dropped into his stomach when he heard that word. He didn’t bite Keith, right? He controlled himself, he was sure he did.

His eyes peered down at Keith’s neck to see that no skin whatsoever was broken, his scent gland only sported a light bruise. But then Keith’s fingers lazily intertwined with Shiro’s necklace and it clicked. Suddenly the piece of jewelry felt impossible heavy around his neck.

 


	3. Don't give the gory details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro learns the story of his necklaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much you guys for all the support so far! The comments on last chapter gave me a good laugh I love how you guys reacted haha. I just want to say I don't usually write such a fast burn but the sex is kind of a catalyst for all the drama that's going to happen ;) so things had to start there. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!

The first lesson you learn before you sign up for space exploration is “Know the culture well”. It seems like a no brainer but it’s the most important lesson for a reason. There’s an infinite number of simple things you can do to piss someone off or give the wrong impression to an alien of another culture. Shiro’s been to planets where you absolutely could not look anyone in the eye while talking or you would be required to fight them. He’s been to other planets where he had to let Allura take over because having two-toned hair was considered offensive and they refused to speak to him. 

Shiro’s been through way too much to make careless mistakes. Especially doing something as intimate as sex without knowing the implications of it. He was such an idiot, it wasn’t like him to be so impulsive. Keith brought out so many sides of him he was unfamiliar with, apparently the foolish ones too.

Shiro was currently laying in Keith’s bed decorated like a Christmas tree. Keith was smiling ear to ear as he ran his finger tips over the last necklace; it was the longest one, the one Shiro wore while they made love for the first time. Or ‘rutted’, as Keith described it. Shiro frowned down at the necklaces, they formed a perfect rainbow from shortest to longest. The shortest being the dark purple necklace he got when he first met Keith.

“You look beautiful Shiro.” Keith said in a soft voice, his throat was still raw from their prior activities. He was propped up on Shiro’s chest, both of them sweaty from another round of fucking. Shiro couldn’t fight the flush that formed on his cheeks from Keith’s gaze, he looked away guiltily. Keith reached up to gently move Shiro’s head to face him, capturing his lips in a lazy kiss and pulling away the next second.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked, “Are you tired?” Keith’s tone held an uncertainty to it that seemed to hint at the anxiety the omega was feeling. He knew Shiro was hiding something. Shiro hated how easily Keith could read him.

“That’s not it Keith.” Shiro wanted so badly to tell him that he had friends and family back home, that they didn’t know where he was, that he needed to leave.

Shiro just couldn’t make himself say it. The more he thought about it the more guilty he felt, he’d gotten himself into something much more serious than he anticipated. Sex clearly had a heavier meaning on this planet, so did gift giving. As far as Keith was concerned Shiro was responding positively to his advances. It’s only now that Shiro realized that’s exactly what they were. Every necklace must’ve been incredibly valuable judging by how much care Keith put into making them. Shiro had no idea Keith was essentially asking to be engaged by his culture’s standards. Sure Shiro asked Keith about the necklaces but Keith only described them as “Bonding necklaces” he had no idea it was for a  _ mating bond _ . Shiro really wished he would have dug deeper, asked for more details, but he was so lovestruck and heartbroken by being rejected he didn’t even bother. And then he was inside Keith and everything was just too good to be true.

Everything felt like a blur now.

Shiro couldn’t lie to himself, he undeniably has feelings for Keith. If this wasn’t a totally unfamiliar planet (where an even more unfamiliar society lived) he would be ecstatic about the idea of mating someone like Keith. But then he thought about his friends, the team was probably searching frantically for him. They might even be putting themselves in danger in the process. It’s not like Shiro didn’t trust them, Allura has shown herself to be a very capable leader when Shiro isn’t there. Pidge and Hunk were incredibly intelligent and level-headed, and Lance had his ways of keeping the group’s bond strong, not to mention he was a more than capable omega when it came to combat.

Shiro felt pain throb in his chest when he thought of them. Hunk was probably pulling his hair out with worry, Pidge must be burrowing herself in her room racking her brain for solutions, Allura had to be the only one at least pretending to be calm and collected for the sake of the team and Lance; Shiro felt guilt when he remembered what happened before the mission.

Lance had confessed to him in a shaky voice, hope lacing his deep blue eyes when he looked up at Shiro through his eyelashes. The image of Lance’s face falling when Shiro was struck silent still tugged at his heart as well as the lame joke that followed,

_ ‘Haha well I had to get that out at some point. We‘re probably going to die on this mission or something, You never know!’  _ Lance couldn’t keep the pain out of his voice. So, Shiro did something stupid:  he told Lance that he would consider his feelings. Shiro remembered Lance’s face, he looked so happy he could light up the whole universe.

And now Shiro might as well be dead to them. Shiro wasn’t even thinking of them while he enjoyed his impromptu honeymoon on the most secretive planet in the universe. Shiro sighed, he was an ass.

Keith let out a disgruntled noise startling him from his thoughts. He didn’t even realize he was letting out such a negative scent and now Keith was looking at him warily. Shiro pulled Keith closer, letting the omega lay on his chest as Shiro stroked the soft skin of his shoulder.

“I was just thinking about Earth, I have a life there that I can’t just abandon.” Shiro said bluntly. Keith stiffened but said nothing. “I have to get in contact with my friends at some point.” Keith dug his nails into Shiro’s chest, clearly upset by the statement.

“I know there’s a way for me to contact them from your village. You have so much amazing technology here, there has to be a way.” Shiro said, letting the statement hang in the air. Keith buried his face in Shiro’s neck like he wanted to block out the conversation.

“Keith...” Shiro started but Keith pushed himself up by his arms, leaning over Shiro was a determined look on his face. Shiro blinked at him, watching as Keith straddled his naked body. Keith stared down at Shiro with deep Amethyst eyes, thick dark hair framing his face as he bent down to touch his forehead to Shiro’s. Shiro found himself wanting to bite into Keith’s kiss swollen lips and had to stop his hips from bucking when Keith began grinding down on Shiro in a lazy rhythm.

“Alpha,” Keith whispered, knowing what that word does to Shiro. He groaned when that rough voice graced his ears. Keith lightly kissed his forehead before trailing kisses down his jaw and neck. “I want to go another round.” Keith said between kisses.

Shiro could feel his dick twitch at those words but he needed to focus. “Keith, no, not right now.” Shiro tried to keep some amount of authority in his voice but it was faltering. Keith invaded all his thoughts: strong, lithe body and soft skin, his eyes dark with want deep pink lips open and inviting. Keith had already tempted him into a second passionate rut in the sheets, making Shiro forget those pressing concerns. Shiro tried pulling away this time but Keith was relentless, kissing him on the lips with an almost desperate intensity until Shiro flipped them over.

It took Shiro all his strength to pull away from that hot mouth but he did, pining Keith down against the bed. The omega let out a noise that was a cross between a growl and a whimper as he tried to get out of the hold. Shiro kept his wits about him even with Keith writhing below him.

“Keith, stop trying to distract me.” Shiro said in a stern voice. Keith buried the side of his face in the pillow, cheeks red from anger and eyes hard with stubborn pride. Though to Shiro’s dismay he could see the beginnings of tears forming in Keith’s eyes, he quickly let go of Keith’s wrists letting the omega curl in a ball on the bed.

Shiro felt his heart skip at the sight and placed a gentle hand on Keith’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Shiro laid his forehead on the back of Keith’s neck. “I only wanted to talk.”

Keith’s response came out mumbled, his face in the pillow. Shiro asked him to repeat it and was met with Keith’s stubborn glare, “Why can’t we just stay here? Aren’t you happy?” Keith sounded hurt, turning to look at Shiro fully. “We could just live here without anyone trying to separate us.” Keith insisted.

Shiro’s heart broke at the desperation in Keith’s eyes. Something had to be wrong, much more wrong than Shiro imagined. Shiro cupped the side of Keith’s face as he searched for answers.

“You don’t want to go back home.” Shiro said. Keith winced with guilt.

“I--I ran away.” Keith confessed biting his lip. “I don’t know what will happen when I go back, especially with an outsider.” Keith sighed. “I don’t know what to do, I didn’t expect to…” Keith trailed off looking down before continuing, “I didn’t expect to meet someone like you, I’ve never brought an outsider to the village.” the sorrow on Keith’s face troubled Shiro, he wanted nothing more than to erase that expression.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll do what I can to support you and I’m willing to take the risk. We can figure this out together.” Shiro cursed himself for making promises he probably couldn’t keep, but the small yet hopeful smile on Keith face kept him going. “I need to contact my friends, they’re probably really worried about me, I just want them to know I’m not dead. We can figure it out from there.”

Keith grabbed his hand, lightly kissing the palm of it before nuzzling into it. “I’m sorry Shiro, I was being selfish. It’s dishonorable for me to not consider your kin.” Keith’s hand tightened around Shiro’s. “I’ll take you to the village, I promise to protect you.”

 

-=-=-

 

It felt so good being outside again. Shiro only felt a little sad when they packed and left the little treehouse where Keith nursed him back to health and bonded with him, where they made love for the first time. It was their sanctuary for months and now he could barely see it in the distance, nestled among the trees.    

Shiro stretched his legs out as they sat in a small clearing lit up by red fluorescent trees. There seemed to be a lot of bio-luminescent plants on this planet. Shiro breathed in the fresh air, he didn’t even care if he almost died in that very same forest, he felt free relaxing on soft grass again. Keith had given him an all black suit that was similar to Keith’s purple and black one, it was in a little floating cube that wrapped around Shiro’s body until he was completely covered. The necklaces weren’t even affected, they simply plopped back onto his newly clothed chest.

“I hope the suit is comfortable. It’ll protect you from poisonous plants and any type of ferocious beast. It’s impenetrable.” Keith said. He gave Shiro a teasing look, “It’s much better than that giant, ugly glove from before.” Keith joked with a small laugh.

Shiro glared at Keith, certain he was talking about his old suit. He was really regretting teaching Keith English, the cheeky omega was starting to use it at Shiro’s expense.  

“Well that ugly suit protected me long enough for you to come save me right?” Shiro joked back nudging keith with a grin. Keith smiled back crossing his arms over his knees.

“I knew that suit wasn’t going to save you from  _ Luxeel _ .” Keith shook his head. “That’s one nasty beast.”

Shiro arched a brow. “Wait, you mean that weird lizard-flower thing has a name?”

“That creature is well known in the forest for luring its victims into false security,” Keith explained. “I knew you were headed for a very shitty fate.” Shiro blinked when he heard Keith curse. He didn’t know how Keith learned those words but something was incredibly attractive hearing crass words fall from those plush lips.

The thought left Shiro when he fully processed what Keith just said. “I didn’t even notice you until you saved me, how long were you watching me?” Shiro asked looking at Keith intently as he sat up.

“I watched you since I saw you fall from the sky,” Keith said with no hesitation. “I heard a loud crash and I went to see what happened. Then I saw you leap out of your ship.” 

Keith’s eyes were soft as he looked down. “I’ve never seen another creature who looked so much like me.” Keith said tucking a strand of hair behind his ear before fiddling with the tip of it absentmindedly.

Shiro noticed that habit of his, he would touch his ears unconsciously sometimes, but he did it more when he talked about his appearance. Shiro suddenly grabbed Keith’s hand to interlock their fingers. Shiro didn’t know why but something about the habit bothered him.

Keith looked down at their hands smiling guiltily, a blush tinted Keith’s cheeks when he realized what he was doing. Shiro gave his smaller hand a squeeze before speaking again.

“So you were the one following me,” Shiro said, amusement lacing his voice. “You scared me half to death you know that?” He was happy he could joke about it now but back then he felt like he was in a horror movie.

“Sorry ‘bout that, I’m usually much more sneaky but I was too eager.” Keith’s tone was light as he looked at Shiro. “I really wanted to approach you, I just needed a reason.” the soft glow of the trees lit up Keith’s fond expression.

Shiro didn’t know rather to feel disturbed or incredibly flattered. It was strange to find out that Keith was watching him from the trees, planning to sweep him off his feet at any moment. Right from the very beginning.  

“So this necklace,” Shiro fingered the dark purple necklace with his other hand. “Used to be the big, bad  Luxeel .” Shiro didn’t even know how to fathom the fact that Keith has slain an infamous beast not only to save him, but to impress him enough to eventually get in his pants.

“These necklaces really are something special.” Shiro said under his breath as he studied them. He remembered the times Keith would come home late looking exhausted clutching that small bag in his hand, Shiro knew Keith went through a lot for the pretty materials arranged on his neck.

“I’m glad you like them,” Keith leaned onto Shiro, resting on Shiro’s shoulder and picking up the dark purple necklace. “I took some big risks getting the finest materials to make them. I thought it was fitting to make the first one out of  Luxeel .” Keith huffed out a small laugh. Shiro smiled at his arrogant tone.

Keith picked up the blue one next, “This one I made from the scales of a Gura I slayed, they kind of look like those sharks things you showed me but their mouth takes up most of their body so it’s a bit difficult to get the scales without killing them.” Keith talked so casually about it but Shiro was terrified to think of what the creature might’ve looked like. The necklace was made from three squares of aquamarine blue scales that glistened with bits of white shell, all sewn together with clear bindings.

“What about this one?” Shiro lifted the green one next, he thought it to be stranger than the others seeing how it glowed in the dark. It looked a bit like olive green metal rope in the day time.

“It’s made from the guts of a Naat, I’m not even sure how to explain this creature to you. I don’t think it looks anything like the Earth monsters you showed me.” Keith pursed his lips in frustration as he tired to think of an explanation. Shiro felt himself get a bit nauseous, he really wish he didn’t ask about that one.

“Uhh that’s okay, I really don’t want to know more about this one.” Shiro couldn’t hold back the tremble in his voice as he dropped the necklace quickly. That was pretty gross.

Keith perked up to give Shiro an incredulous look, “Are all earthlings so quick to feel sick over small things?” Keith arched a shapely brow at Shiro’s expression. “It won’t rot like organic material, I coated it in the blood of the Naat to harden--”

“Let’s just talk about the yellow one!” Shiro said quickly, running a hand through his hair and trying not to puke, he didn’t want to offend Keith. The yellow one looked like a cluster of tiny golden daisies on a shimmery orange string, simple yet pleasant.

Keith blinked at him before laying back on his shoulder. “The yellow one is made from the hairs of Rrui, he’s a giant brown-red lump, you probably saw him when you crashed on that summit.”

Shiro thought back to what he saw then, he did not remember seeing a giant living thing in the distance, all he saw was trees and burgundy mountains--

“Wait, you don’t mean those mountains?!” Shiro pulled away from Keith earning a glare from the omega before he pulled Shiro back to use as a pillow once again.   

“All the rest are what you call mountains, Rrui uses them to hide, he doesn’t like being bothered. He almost caught me but I got away.” Keith said running a finger along the yellow necklace. Shiro looked at the necklace in a new light then, those mountains were massive and Keith climbed a being the same size to rip flowers--or rather hair--from it. And by the way Keith talked about Rrui he must be more sentient than a simple beast.  

“The red one?” Shiro asked looking down at Keith. He couldn’t help it, Keith’s tales were so impressive his curiosity got the best of him. Besides, the red one has as much significance as the purple one, they both stood out in his mind.

Keith bit his lip and smiled as his hand smoothed over the last one, no doubt thinking about the way they christened that one. Shiro felt his own arousal flare in him just from the thought of it.    

“I went a bit far with the red one.” Keith twirled it around a slender finger. “I snuck into a fire bird’s nest to grab some of its feathers. I ended up having to fight it, I was injured but I got away without killing it.” Keith said.

Shiro frowned. “So that blood wasn’t the bird’s.” he couldn’t help the slight anger that slipped into his tone. Shiro didn’t want Keith to get hurt just to prove something to him. 

“It wasn’t but I’m ok now, you don’t have to worry.” Keith could sense the anger coming from Shiro, he sat up nudging Shiro in a silent apology.

Shiro grabbed Keith wrists, they were so delicate for such a strong omega. He gave Keith a stern look. “Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again, I don’t think I can live with you being hurt in any way. Not even for my sake.” Keith’s eyes were wide as he stared into Shiro’s hard grey eyes.

“I’ll try not to.” he whispered, “I’m sorry-” Shiro kissed him before he could finish. Keith tried to deepen the kiss but Shiro pulled away to look at him again.

“Jesus, you’re the craziest omega I’ve ever met.” Shiro touched his forehead to Keith’s letting out a sigh. “Why the hell did you do all that for someone you just met?” Shiro shook his head slightly.

“I knew you were the one for me when I saw you stumble out that ship like a newborn lorkra.” Keith teased. Shiro snorted a laugh flipping Keith onto the ground and making him yelp in surprise.

Shiro hovered over him with a smirk.“Could a newborn lorkra do that? Huh?” Shiro dipped his head kissing all  over Keith’s neck and making him squirm and laugh as he wrestled with the alpha. Shiro moved between Keith’s legs and groaned when Keith wrapped his legs around him. 

“Show me what I worked hard for, Alpha.” Keith reached down to grab Shiro’s half hard bulge making him buck forward into the touch. Shiro captured Keith’s lips in an almost violent kiss, swallowing Keith’s breathy moans as he dominated his mouth, pulling away only when they needed air.

“I’ll make sure you never regret it,” Shiro growled before locking their lips again. He could hear the necklaces clink in the quiet night, mingling with their heated sounds.

 

-=-=-

 

Another day went by when they started to see the trees thinning out. The rocky paths began to smooth out into a soft dirt walkways. Shiro looked up to see nothing but purple lights blinking softly in the distance, which according to Keith meant they were close. The sight made butterflies erupt in Shiro’s stomach, he didn’t know rather he was anxious or excited. The inquisitive part of him couldn’t wait to experience such a new and secretive culture, but the newly mated part of him was wary of what Keith’s father, his Xaka, would think of him.

Keith himself was eerily quiet, he’d been pretty spirited and playful while they traveled through the forest, even stopping whenever Shiro got curious about a certain areas of the dense place. Now Shiro felt like Keith may have been stalling a bit on purpose. Keith was nervously biting his lip, deep in thought.

“You okay?” Shiro asked putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith glanced at Shiro like he just noticed he was there. Shiro saw a flash of a troubled expression on his face before he looked away.

“Keith,” Shiro started, concern evident on his own face. “What happened?”

“I’m just nervous, I had a pretty big fight with Xaka.” Keith said sounding ashamed. Shiro’s eyes widened at that but he let Keith continue.

“Xaka was pressuring me to choose a mate. He wanted me to be with an alpha from high blood.” Keith crossed his arms, his scowl deepening. 

“So you do have have someone you’re already promised to.” Shiro said without thinking. He really didn’t think he’d be welcomed now.

“Promised?” Keith tilted his head in confusion at the statement.

“Like someone you’re supposed to mate with, someone your parents choose for you.” Shiro clarified.

Keith scoffed at that. “Parents don’t make the choice but they can influence who’s in your closest circle. Xaka made sure I only associated with certain people.”

Shiro couldn’t help but think Keith was some type of noble or maybe even royalty after hearing about his home life. He just prayed Keith’s people weren’t willing to kill over tradition. “Maybe your dad will settle for kicking me out instead of killing me.” Shiro’s tone was hopeful.

Keith sighed, “My dad isn’t the only one we have to worry about.”

**Author's Note:**

>    
> [here's my tumblr, you can yell at me there](https://prettypepper-with-extrasalt.tumblr.com/)


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